


Chasing After You

by GleekPlusDirectioner



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: F/M, M/M, best mate!louis, denying!liam, pining!niall
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-08
Updated: 2015-06-08
Packaged: 2018-04-03 11:10:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4098876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GleekPlusDirectioner/pseuds/GleekPlusDirectioner
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: Niall's pining over his best friend ex-boyfriend, Liam. Liam’s kind of aware that Niall has been trying to win him over. But he just won’t let in until some random guy tries to flirt with and seduce Niall.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Chasing After You

**Author's Note:**

> This is a reposting from my tumblr: directionerplusgleek.tumblr.com

“Hey, Liam.”

Liam sighed and suppressed an eye-roll, glancing to the bar-stool beside him. “Evening, Niall.”

“You been up to much?” Niall asked, sipping his beer.

“Not really,” Liam replied. He begrudgingly returned the question. “You?”

“A bit,” Niall shrugged. “Been hanging out with Louis a lot. Not as much as I used to, though, because he says he feels like he still needs to hang out with you, even though…”

Actually rolling his eyes this time, Liam finished, “Even though we broke up. I know that’s how he feels, Niall, he told me.” Drinking a small about of his own beer, Liam turned to watch the crowd, searching the pub for Harry to come save him.

But Niall obviously wasn’t giving up on the conversation. “Well… The three of us could always meet up somewhere,” he suggested, attempting and failing to make it sound off-handed and unplanned. “Y'know, go for a coffee or kick-around in the park…”

Liam turned his head to Niall and met his eyes. “No.” His attention returned to the crowd again.

“Okay,” Niall nodded, eyes down and voice sounding disheartened. “Was just a suggestion.”

“I’d rather not,” Liam amended. “I’m kinda seeing this girl at the moment. Nothing serious yet, but I don’t want her seeing me running ‘round with my ex.”

Niall swallowed hard. “Surely that would be a sign that you’d moved on, though,” he tried.

“I’d still rather not.”

“Hey, guys,” came an overly-cheerful voice.

“Hey, Lou,” Liam greeted the grinning boy that slung his arm around Niall’s shoulders.

“Good seeing you, Li. C'mon, Ni,” Louis said loudly, dragging Niall off his bar stool and away from Liam. Once they were far enough away, Louis hissed, “What are you  _doing_?!”

“I’m just…” Niall looked down, gripping his right bicep with his left hand. “’M just talking to him.”

“No, Niall, people don’t 'just talk’ to their exes,” Louis stated.

Niall huffed and dropped his arms by his sides. “I miss him, Lou,” he whined. “Aren’t I allowed to miss him?” He gazed sadly across the room to where Liam was still sitting drinking his beer.

Sighing, Louis explained, “You’re allowed to miss him, Ni, but talking to him hints at wanting to get back together with him.”

“I do though,” Niall whispered, his voice barely heard in the loud room.

Louis had to fight to not groan, glancing between Niall and Liam. “Look, c'mon, let’s go back to mine, yeah?” He dragged Niall out of the pub and started them towards his flat. “What do you wanna do?” he asked, linking their arms as they walked. “We could play Fifa, watch a movie…”

“Don’t wanna play Fifa,” Niall mumbled, shaking his head as he watched his feet. “Used to play Fifa with Liam. He always lost, he was so terrible at it…”

Pinching the bridge of his nose to keep from saying anything, Louis suggested, “We’ll watch a movie, then. Which one?  _Avengers_ , something Disney,  _Batman_ …?”

“Can I just go home, Lou?” Niall croaked, eyes filled with tears.

“Why?” Louis asked, confused.

“B'cause those are all things I used to watch with Liam. 'Specially  _Batman_ …” Sniffing, Niall pulled his arm from Louis’ and headed off down the street towards his own flat.

“Niall!” Louis called after him.

Niall ignored his friend and hurried home, jogging up the three flights of stairs and fumbling with his key in the lock before finally collapsing on his couch. He blew out a slow breath to hold his tears, gazing around the room. “Everything reminds me of you, Li,” he whispered, voice cracking. “Where we sat, where we talked, where we laughed, where we kissed…” Sniffing hard and scrubbing at his eyes, he curled up on the couch and pulled his blanket up over him.

Glancing at the text message his phone pinged for, Niall only felt worse, dropping his mobile onto the floor and rolling over.

_'At least sleep in your bed. Two months on the couch can’t be good for you. Well, no matter where you’re sleeping, look after yourself. Night – Louis’_

 

“Why doesn’t he want me back, Louis?” Niall asked quietly, watching Liam and a few other mutual friends playing football in the park.

Louis looked to the miserable boy beside him and sighed, wrapping his arm around Niall’s shoulders and giving him a sympathetic look. “He’s moved on, Ni,” Louis explained gently. “Got himself some bird. Reckons she’s the one and all.”

Sniffling, Niall whispered, “Not helping, Lou.”

“Ni,” Louis sighed. “My point is, maybe it’s time you moved on, too.”

“I can’t.” Niall watched Liam score a goal, the way he celebrated with his teammates. It made something in his chest ache. “He used to come running up to me and kiss me whenever he got a goal. Hug me so tight I couldn’t breathe.” Pulling away from Louis, Niall sniffled, “’M going for a walk.” He didn’t even wait for a response before trudging off along the walking track, disappearing behind the trees.

With a heavy sigh, Louis hauled himself up off the bench and jogged off after his friend, who he eventually found standing by the duck pond halfway around the park. Standing beside the blonde, Louis asked, “What do you miss most?”

“His cuddles,” Niall whispered. “And how he’d talk to me for hours about nothing at all. And how we used to… used to slowdance in the kitchen to Michael Bublé.” A small choking sound left Niall’s mouth, then a sob as tears finally crept down his cheeks. “I just miss him, Louis. The most safe and comforted I ever felt was in his arms, and he’ll never hold me again.” He covered his eyes with one hand and curled the other around his middle, another sob shaking his body.

“Ni.” Louis turned to his friend and wrapped his arms around him from the side, hugging him supportively as the blonde cried.

 

Niall took a deep swig of his beer, leaning against the bar with his forearms. “Why is he always out at the same place we are?” he muttered to Louis.

“Because he lives in the same area,” Louis shrugged. “That’s how you met, remember? At the pub.”

“Don’t remind me,” Niall mumbled.

Shaking his head, Louis slid to the floor. “Back in a sec. Just need to piss.”

Niall nodded vaguely as Louis headed for the toilets.

Merely two seconds after Louis was gone, his seat was filled. “Hi there.”

Glancing up at the man beside him, Niall gave him a half-smile. “Hi.”

“Why’re you all alone here?”

Niall raised an eyebrow. “My mate literally just left. You had to have been waiting for him to leave.”

The man sighed and nodded his head. “Okay, you caught me,” he admitted, raising his hands in surrender. “But alone or not, you look sad.”

“Yeah.” Niall shrugged one shoulder.

“Someone as pretty as you shouldn’t look sad.”

“No?” Niall asked, the tiniest beginnings of a smile quirking up the corner of his mouth.

The man grinned triumphantly, only making Niall’s smile grow. “Josh,” the man introduced, holding his hand out.

Niall took Josh’s hand and shook it. “Niall.”

“Ah,” Josh chuckled. “The champion.”

“You know some Irish history?” Niall asked, pleasantly surprised.

“Specifically for the occasion,” Josh nodded.

Niall laughed a little. He only realised that Josh was yet to let go of his hand when he brought it to his lips and kissed it lightly. “What was that for?” Niall very nearly giggled.

“That’s what you do when you’re courting someone,” Josh replied smoothly.

“Oo, courting, is it?” Niall teased lightly. “Very posh.”

“Only the best for someone as gorgeous as you,” Josh grinned.

Before Niall could reply, he was interrupted. “Niall.”

Turning to the voice, Niall found his face being cradled between two warm, strong hands before a memorable pair of lips pressed against his own. He melted into the kiss, his arms coming to wrap comfortably around a familiar neck, sighing through his nose. “Liam,” he murmured when their lips parted.

“Will you take me back?” Liam whispered, lightly bumping his nose against Niall’s. “Please?”

“Of course I will, you numpty,” Niall giggled, stealing another kiss.

“Um… am I interrupting something?”

Niall glanced over his shoulder to Josh, who was giving both boys a questioning look. “Sorry, Josh,” he smiled, only half-apologetically.

“Right,” Josh sighed, pushing himself to his feet.

“You have good technique,” Niall complimented before the man could leave. “First-class flirt.”

Sparing Niall a smile, Josh left him be.

“I hated the way he looked at you,” Liam mumbled in Niall’s ear. “I hated how you just  _let_  him. I hated the idea of him maybe taking you home and… and I realised that I really do want you back.” Kissing Niall’s temple, he whispered, “God, I’ve missed you, Niall.”

“You were so annoyed with me the other night,” Niall whispered.

“I was annoyed at  _me_  because I didn’t want to give in to you again, but I… For fuck’s sake, Niall, I still love you.”

“I love you, too.” Niall buried his face in Liam’s neck, blowing out a shaky breath. “Christ, Liam… I’ve cried so much since you left.”

Liam stroked the back of Niall’s head soothingly. “You’ve looked really tired lately,” he noted.

“I’ve been sleeping on my couch,” Niall admitted. “I couldn’t sleep in the bed, it still smells like you…”

“Ni…”

“Okay then.”

Both boys looked to where Louis was standing next to his barstool, arms folded and an eyebrow raised. Clearing his throat a little, Liam greeted, “Hey, Lou.”

Louis rolled his eyes. “I knew you were lying, y'know,” he told Liam, grabbing his beer and taking a mouthful. “About that bird. How you kept insisting you were done with this,” he gestured to the pair, “and you were so in love with her.”

“Was trying to convince myself,” Liam muttered, burying his face in Niall’s hair. “It didn’t work, okay? She can stay the hell away from me and my boyfriend.”

Niall felt tears fill his eyes and he hugged Liam close with a painful grin.

“Let’s go, yeah?” Liam suggested to the boy wrapped around him.

“Yeah.” Niall slipped off his barstool and curled into Liam’s side. “See you later, Louis.”

Louis gave them a wave as they headed for the door, shouting a, “Be safe!” just as they stepped out the door.

“Cheeky shit,” Liam muttered, smiling when Niall giggled. He wrapped Niall up in a hug, the blonde’s chin on his shoulder.

From where they were standing, Niall could see through the pub window to Josh, who was watching them. Leaning into Liam a little more, he mouthed, “Thank you.”

Josh cracked a smile and gave him a thumbs up before Liam hurried the blonde down the street. “Well, made someone happy,” Josh supposed, sipping his drink. He turned his head to the right when two guys sat beside him. “Evening, lads,” he greeted with a nod to each of them. “Can I help you?”

The guys grinned at each other, then at Josh. “I’m Louis,” one introduced, “and this is Harry. We were wanting a couple of things; one, thanks for getting out mates back together; and two, we were wondering if you could give us some tips.”

“You had Niall wrapped around your finger in seconds,” Harry commented.

With a smirk, Josh took another mouthful of his drink. “Settle in, lads,” he suggested. “This’ll take some time.”


End file.
